JOHNSTOWN, Pa., Sept. 16, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is opening a new office in Johnstown, Pa., to support its work for the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal government agencies, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) and Daniel L. Montgomery, Northrop Grumman vice president and deputy general manager, announced today.

Northrop Grumman's Mission Systems sector plans to hire as many as 50 employees over the next two years to develop advanced collaboration technology, software-based tools that enable people to share information, coordinate and solve problems.

The company has leased 14,000 square feet at the Commerce Center (formerly known as the Reliant Energy complex) for a state-of-the-art facility, which will be equipped with advanced communications, simulation, modeling and visualization systems and linked with other Northrop Grumman operations, laboratories and networks.

"I'm delighted to welcome Northrop Grumman to Johnstown," Murtha said. "The arrival of another prestigious, internationally known company in Johnstown is an indication of our success in attracting new business to the region and our growing reputation as a hub for high-tech industries."

"We're excited about becoming part of southwestern Pennsylvania's vibrant technology community," Montgomery said. "The Mission Systems sector has strong established relationships with area companies that support our missile-defense and tactical systems programs. We aim to build collaborative partnerships with area universities, as well."

Among those relationships, Kuchera Defense Systems in Winber, Pa., is a subcontractor on Kinetic Energy Interceptors (KEI), a mobile, land-based missile-defense system that, when deployed, will be able to destroy a hostile threat during its boost and ascent phase of flight. Kuchera is also performing research and development for hardware variants of the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2)-Blue Force Tracking system, which provides joint coalition forces with a clear, continuous common operating picture of the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Other Kuchera contract awards include a helicopter radar-warning system, transmitters for Navy shipboard radar, and automatic test equipment for the Army's Integrated Family of Test Equipment Electro-Optics Test Facility.

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, based in Reston, Va., is a global integrator of complex, mission-enabling systems and services for defense, intelligence and government markets. The sector's technology leadership and expertise spans areas such as strategic systems, including ICBMs; missile defense; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; command and control; and technical services and training.